Railway construction.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

P. HOLMES. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1906.

nrrn' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY.OONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed January 25, 1906. Serial No. 297,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHINEAS HoLMns, a citizen of the United States, residing at National Soldiers Home, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad construction; and the object thereof is to provide novel supporting means for the track of the road to do away with the necessity of use of the ordinary wooden cross-ties and afford a rigid and firm bearing for the rails and at the same time conserve the cushion or elastic effect in the track-supporting means as usually acquired in the practical use of the wooden ties above mentioned.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a section of track of a railroad constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one of the rails and the supporting structure carrying the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the longitudinal sleepers. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the transverse con necting and truss sections.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the rails, which may be of the ordinary T form most commonly in use or any other desirable construction, the supporting structure for said rails being arranged longitudinally thereof as contradistinguished from the usual supporting structure comprised in transverse ties. The rails 1 are carried mainly by longitudinal sleepers 2, made of metal, wood, or the like, arranged beneath the same and of any desirable length as found practical in the embodiment of the invention. The various sleepers 2 are connected by transverse connecting and truss sections 3, the latter having means applied thereto for bracing the rails. The brace means aforesaid consist of clamps. or members 41, at-

' tached to the sections 3 by means of bolts or similar fastenings, adjacent ends of themembers 4 embracing the rail upon opposite sides and reinforcing the same in an obvious manner. The connection between the sleepers and the sections 3 is established by means of pins 5 or similar members, one of which projects upwardly from lateral wings 6, which extend from the sections 3 on opposite sides and which are integrally formed therewith substantially in line with the rails 1, but of course beneath the latter. The pins 5 are adapted to enter openings 7 in the ends of the sleepers 2 and establish an interlocking connection to prevent longitudinal separation of the parts 2 and 3 and forming a substructure for the track, affording acontinuous bearing. The sections 3 comprise a top portion and sides 8, the latter being connected by a trans verse web 9 and each section being cast or otherwise formed of integral structure. The web 9 is beneath the top portion of the section 3 and in line with the rail above the same to brace the section at the point upon which strain is received. In similar manner the sleepers 3 are provided with longitudinally-vertical webs 10 upon their under sides, and upon the upper sides thereof adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges are formed stoplugs 11, designed to engage the outer edge of the base of the rail. The lugs 11 form stops to prevent lateral play of the rails on the sleepers 2 with reference to outward movement. The sleepers and sections 3 are not only connected longitudinally, but the mem bers beneath the rails at one side of the track are connected with those at the other side of the track by means of tie-rods 12. Opposite ends of each of the sections 3 are provided with openings, so that said sections may be readily connected by the tie-rods, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The sleepers 2 are likewise provided with one or more vertical openings near the inner edge portions thereof to admit of ready attachment with the tie-rods. The rails of each track are of course firmly connected, and lateral and longitudinal movements are prevented in an obvious manner. The sections 3 by reason of having openings at opposite ends are interchangeable or ada ted to be reversed with reference to the point of attachment of the tie-rods 12, and likewise the sleepers 2 are adapted for reversal so far as the connection of the same with the sections 3 is concerned. The stops 11 of the sleepers, however, will always be outermost.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers, transverse truss and connecting sections connecting said sleepers, and tie-rods connecting the sleepers and sections at one side of the track with those at the other side of the track.

2. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers, transverse connecting-sections connecting the sleepers at one side of the track, rails mounted upon said longitudinal sleepers and connecting-sections, and brace means applied toflthe connecting-sections to support the ra s.

3. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers, transverse connecting-sections connecting the sleepers at one side of the track, rails mounted upon said longitudinal sleepers and connecting-sections, brace means applied to the connecting-sections to support the rails, and tie-rods connecting the sleepers and sections at one side ofthe track With those at the other side of the track.

4. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers and transverse Connectingsections connecting said sleepers, rails mounted-upon said longitudinal sleepers and connecting-sections, and

brace means applied to the connecting-sections to support the rails, each of the transverse sections comprising a top portion and sides, the sides of the transverse section being connected by a web longitudinal with reference to the sleepers.

5. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers, transverse sections connecting said sleepers, lateral wings projecting from opposite sides of the sections, and pins projecting upwardly from the lateral wings and engaging the ends of the sleepers and to establish an interlocking connection between the sections and the sleepers.

6. In railroad construction, track-supporting means including longitudinal sleepers and transverse sections connecting said sleepers, tie-rods connecting sleepers and sections at one side of the track with those at the other side, each transverse section being formed with a Web on its under side longitudinally of the sleepers, each sleeper having a longitudinal web upon its under side, lateral wings projecting from opposite sides of the transverse sections,'and members projecting from said wings to establish interlocking connection between the same and the sleepers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHINEAS HOLMES. 

